tetrodotoxin
Almost all kinds of puffer fish contain tetrodotoxin (TTX), which is a neurotoxin, an aminotetrahydroquinazoline compound and one of the most toxic neurotoxins found in nature. It was once considered as the most toxic non-protein toxin in nature, and people can die if they eat 0.5 mg -3 mg of dolphin poison.
The chemical and thermal properties of tetrodotoxin are very stable, which can not be destroyed by common cooking methods such as pickling or sun exposure. It can only be decomposed when heated at high temperature for more than 30 minutes or under alkaline conditions, and it cannot be destroyed by100℃ for 8 hours, 120℃ 1 hour, and it can be destroyed by heating at 220℃ for 20-60 minutes. Neither salting nor sun exposure can destroy toxins.
Where is the tetrodotoxin? What about tetrodotoxin poisoning?
Where is the tetrodotoxin?
Toxins mainly exist in gonads, liver, spleen, eyes, skin, blood and other parts of puffer fish. Ovary and liver are more toxic, followed by kidney, blood, eyes, gills and skin, while testicles and meat are less toxic or non-toxic. When cooking puffer fish, the viscera and eyes of puffer fish must be carefully removed, gills removed, skin removed, tendons removed and blood removed, and washed repeatedly with clear water.
Symptoms of puffer fish poisoning
1, gastrointestinal symptoms: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or diarrhea occurred shortly after eating.
2, nerve paralysis symptoms: began to have numbness of lips, tongue and fingers; Then the whole body is numb, eyelids droop, limbs are unable to walk unsteadily, ataxia, muscle weakness and tendon reflex disappear.
3. Symptoms of respiratory and reflux failure: dyspnea, shortness of breath, irregular cyanosis on the body surface, decreased blood pressure, pupil narrowing first and then expanding or bilateral asymmetry, speech disorder, coma, and finally died of respiratory and reflux failure.
What about puffer fish poisoning?
The incubation period of TTX poisoning is very short, as short as 10-30 minutes and as long as 3-6 hours, and the onset is urgent. If the rescue is not timely, the victim will die within 10 minutes at the earliest and 4-6 hours at the latest.
What if puffer fish is poisoned? Brother, let's go to the hospital. After admission, we will check the EEG immediately after gastric lavage, catharsis and symptomatic treatment, and check the EEG at the second and fourth weeks. Scalp electrodes were placed according to the international 10/20 system, and unipolar leads and more than three bipolar leads were recorded with domestic 13 electroencephalograph, and eyes were opened when bipolar recording was made. 20 ~ 30 minutes of eye closure test and 3 minutes of hyperventilation test were recorded each time.